
My plan to review the list and let you know of any stories matching the Long Ago and Far Away ethos was thwarted by—The List. Nothing to see here. Unless you count the ‘80s & ‘90s. And I’m not prepared to go there. I remember way too much of that stuff.
Pity because I usually find the International List more interesting than the English language one. Nevermind. Here’s their Substack/Website if you would like to see the pickins’:
Meanwhile, I’ve finished Follett’s Kingsbridge Series. Whew! (How many years? Thousands of pages?) I will comment on those soon.
I’ve also just abandoned a remarkable Hist Fic novel. I’ll tell you all about that too.
So, on to the next one. I hope I like it. Lots of potential. But I only read a page of his Pulitzer before passing on it. And so… Golly, I’m getting hard to please!
If you want something historical but not strictly Hist Fic and more cosy mystery, I highly recommend the Victorian San Francisco Mysteries by M. Louisa Locke. Each centers around a profession women had during that time, and a mystery around characters working in this profession. There’s a great cast of recurring characters and the main couple (of course there’s a romantic subplot 😜) is just adorable. And Mrs Locke is a retired professor for History and Women’s Studies, so everything is properly researched.
Hi Lausanne, Haven't read any historical fiction lately but just finished Richard Powers' Playground. As usual, Powers tells the world's important stories through his characters and the lives they lead. Playground features a woman oceanographer who comes of age in the 50s-60s and the oceans, creatures she loves, and an early techie working on -- AI. Part of the novel's location is a tiny atoll in Micronesia fearing the worst—being swallowed by the sea. In other words (save politics this time thank god) he covers all bases when these worlds collide. Almost as good as The Overstory imho.